Understanding
Julius Caesar Through Diaries
HOW IT WORKS
Understanding Julius Caesar
Through Diaries allows students to read and understand
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar by getting
involved in a project that keep them interested throughout
the play. Instead of simply reading the work, students get
the chance to become actively involved in it. At the
beginning of the unit, the students choose the character
that they want to be throughout the duration of the play.
They are required to complete diary entries for this
character at the end of each act, so in addition to
documenting the major action in the play, they also report
it from the viewpoint of one of the characters. In order to
do this, they must understand how the characters feel, so
they learn about characterization (how characters develop
throughout the play). After Caesar is killed, they read
articles about the assassinations of both John F. Kennedy
and Abraham Lincoln. They then write articles of their own
to be included in the diary. Students spend about a half
hour per week in the computer room, writing their entries.
They exercise their creativity by making decisions about
layout and choosing different fonts and, to further enhance
their diaries, they search the Internet for pictures that
are related to how their character is feeling during the act
that has just been read. All design elements of the diary
must be related to the personalities of the characters they
have chosen.
THE STUDENTS
About 33 students per class participate in the program. They
meet three times per week for one hour. All students have
had experience with computers and understand how to use
Microsoft Word and the World Wide Web, but some are more
comfortable than others with design and layout. The program
can be adapted for other grades and other Shakespearean
plays as well.
THE STAFF
Denise Goldman has been teaching English for four years. She
is involved in The New York City Writing Project and a New
Visions grant at her school.
WHAT YOU NEED
Teachers need access to a computer lab with Internet access
and a class set of Julius Caesar books. In addition,
construction paper, glue, and scissors are required so
students can construct their diaries.
OVERALL VALUE
Understanding Julius Caesar Through Diaries allows students
to read their first Shakespearean play with ease and
enthusiasm. Students are able to understand plot as well as
characterization, two concepts that are invaluable for
English students. Creating their own diaries holds students
responsible for their homework--which will be “published”--
and establishes the need for editing, a concept that is also
important for students to understand. The students are
always proud of the finished product that is displayed in
the classroom or the hallway. |